1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to liquid flow controls and monitoring, and in particular to a blockage monitor for liquid application equipment, such as sprayers used for agricultural and related applications.
2. Description of the Related Art
Monitoring liquid flow is an important function in various equipment for dispensing, spraying and applying liquid material. For example, agricultural operations commonly involve applying liquid fertilizer, insecticide and herbicide. As an example, agricultural spraying equipment is typically configured for liquid applications over multiple rows per pass. The equipment is commonly configured for applying liquid on eight or more rows simultaneously. Some examples of multi-row equipment include: planters, applicators, cultivators, coulters, etc.
Row crops, which account for a large portion of overall agricultural production, typically require several field operations with different types of equipment. These can include tilling, planting, fertilizing and harvesting operations. Moreover, crop yields often benefit from the application of herbicides, insecticides and pesticides. Liquid application operations are conducted to maximize uniform coverage while minimizing waste, overlap and equipment fuel consumption. Such objectives can be achieved by, for example, efficiently guiding the equipment in evenly-spaced, parallel passes in either straight-line or contour guidance modes of operation. Optimum, uniform crop yields tend to result from even liquid application coverage and precise equipment guidance and control procedures.
Liquid application equipment, such as agricultural sprayers, may be susceptible to liquid flow blockage and restriction from various sources. For example, debris from the fluid reservoirs, such as liquid applicator tanks, can become lodged in fluid outlets and other discharge components. In many agricultural tractor-liquid applicator configurations, the liquid applicators are located some distance behind the operators. The operators are thus unable to directly observe the operation of the liquid applicators while driving the equipment. Consequently, individual, blocked liquid lines and applicators are often undetected by the equipment operators, with resultant gaps in the material application. Uniform material application and ultimately crop yields can be compromised by liquid application coverage gaps.
Automated agricultural operations commonly use information management via the Internet for purposes of monitoring, reporting and controlling various aspects of agricultural operations. For example, liquid chemical applications are often documented for billing and record-keeping purposes. Accurate records of operations are useful to operators and owners in connection with monitoring crop yields based on chemical applications, record-keeping, billing and other information management aspects. Accurate records of agricultural chemical applications are commonly useful for purposes of insuring consistent flow rates for maximizing crop yields.
Visual flow blockage monitors have previously been installed in agricultural liquid application equipment. For example, CDS-John Blue Corporation of Huntsville, Ala. manufacturers and markets the VisaGage line of liquid application flow monitors, which utilize transparent columns each associated with an individual liquid applicator fluid outlet in a multi-row liquid applicator. Operators can visually observe indicator ball locations and thereby detect blocked liquid applicator lines when the flow rate responsive balls drop below threshold operating levels. Such visual indicator systems tend to be highly reliable, even under adverse operating conditions because they rely on only one moving part, the flow rate level indicator ball, and because operators can reliably observe the ball locations associated with multiple liquid applicators and thus quickly discern the inoperative condition of any particular liquid applicator.
Although such visual liquid application monitoring procedures have been successfully used for a number of years, visual observation procedures performed by individuals can be enhanced and improved by combining such flow indicators with automated, electronic sensing equipment for tracking the individual fluid outlet operations.
Heretofore there has not been available a flow monitor system and method with the features of the present invention. These include automated monitoring of individual fluid outlets; operation under various lighting and visibility conditions; “heads-up” display monitoring by equipment operators; and operation reporting capabilities via Internet, cloud-based utilities and other automated functions.